It is not illegal in the UK to sell or auction off human remains, as long as they were not acquired illegally and are not being used them for transplant.
However, the fact that many of the remains used in medical classes came from other countries and were likely not to have the consent of the deceased has prompted concerns.
Dr Lauren McIntyre, of the British Association for Biological Anthropology and Osteoarchaeology, said auction sales such as the one that had been planned for Glasgow were unacceptable.
Courtesy Great Western Auction
She told BBC Scotland News: “The buying and selling of human remains for commercial gain robs the deceased of their dignity, and is both unethical and unacceptable in any form.
“Most medical and anatomical remains like the ones that were to go to auction in Glasgow are the product of 20th Century mass export from countries like India and China, rather than being from consenting donors.
“The export of human skeletons from India was only banned in 1985 amid government fears of grave robbing and murder, although there is evidence that the trade continues.
“The export of human skeletons from China was only banned in 2008. Therefore, many of the examples seen for sale may actually be of very recent date.”
